This Moment
by Lord Papyrus
Summary: When Quinn finds out that Rachel moved the date of her wedding,she does everything in her power to stop it. Will it be enough? Or will Rachel make the biggest mistake of her life? And what will Rachel do when Quinn's life is hanging in the balance?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- After seeing the spoilers and the promo for "On My Way" I came up with this. There is a possibility of me continuing this if people want me to. Leave a review if that is the case. First fanfiction ever, so reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated. Enjoy :)**

**A/N 2- In this story, Quinn is already aware that she is gay, and in love with Rachel**

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><p><strong>THIS MOMENT<strong>

_"Finn and I are finally getting married." _

_Finn and I._

_ Married. _Those words echoed over and over again in my head. It had been one week since the big announcement during glee, and I still hadn't wrapped my head around it. I had been confident that my talk would have changed her mind. She wouldn't just throw away her dreams for the teen giant, would she? I heard a slight buzz to my right and saw my phone lighting up.

**From Rachel: Hello Quinn, I'm hoping that you have changed your opinion about my upcoming nuptials because the fittings for the wedding party are tomorrow. I want you to be my maid of honor. I know this is probably surprising but I regard you as a close friend now that we have settled our differences. We moved the date of the wedding to next week, so let me know. **

I struggled to contain the bile rising in my throat. How was I supposed to stand next to the girl I love and watch her marry somebody else? Still, I had to be there for her in any way I could.

** To Rachel: I would be honored to be your maid of honor ;) I'll be there. Just text me the address.**

I shut my phone off so that I wouldn't have to hear about Finn and her wedding plans. My head was pounding and my eyes were burning from lack of sleep. Black was beginning to cloud my vision, and before I knew it, I was unconscious.

The next day I pulled up to David's Bridal and pulled the key out of the ignition. I swung open the door to the store and the small bell hanging on the door rung out.

A tall woman walked up to me and said, "You must be Quinn, all the other girls are in the back." I nodded my head and followed the woman to the dressing room. Santana, Brittany, Sugar, Mercedes, and Tina were all goofing off in their light pink dresses.

"Bout time Fabray!" Santana called out. Brittany rushed over and hugged me, while the others just waved hello.

"Where's Rachel?" I asked.

"Right here," said a voice from behind me. I turned around and exhaled. Rachel looked stunning in a floor length white dress with a veil clipped to the back of her hair. Her bangs were pulled back off her face, while her hair was in a loose bun. She had never looked more beautiful in my eyes.

"Rach," I breathed out, "You look gorgeous." She blushed and ducked her head down.

"Damn girl, you look fine!" Mercedes cheered. Tina and Sugar nodded their approval while Santana stood there with a smirk on her face. Brittany jumped up and down clapping and enveloped Rachel in a hug. Suddenly, "Without You" rang out. Rachel wormed her way out of Brittany's arms and dug through her purse.

"Hey Finn!" she said enthusiastically. She held up her finger and walked to the corner of the room so she could speak privately. My heart dropped to my toes. I felt my knees go weak and I flopped onto the nearest chair. Santana eyed me curiously. She crossed the room and bent down to look me in the eyes.

"What's up Q?" I shook my head at her. How was I supposed to tell her that I was in love with Rachel?

"I know something is going on, so you had better tell me before I go all Lima Heights on your ass."

I sighed and said, "I'm not in the mood for your fake bad ass attitude right now Santana."

"Damn, something is really wrong with you. Does it have anything to do with the fact that Berry is on the phone with Finn?"

"Fine, I'm in love with Rachel Berry and I think this wedding is a huge mistake. She's throwing _everything _away for that fool. He can't even remember the fact that she's a vegan! I can't stand to see her be with him, but there is _nothing _I can do about it." I choked out. Santana looked at me with empathy in her eyes.

"Look Q, I almost lost B because I took so long to say how I felt. You can't let her marry him. Taylor Swift this shit! Don't be the one that let the girl get away. I won't let you. You are Quinn freaking Fabray. You don't give up. Now get off your ass, march over to her, and tell her how you feel. I know you can do this."

I got up off the couch and grabbed her. "Thank you," I whispered. Just then Rachel stepped back into the room with a slight frown on her face. I looked at her, and back at Santana trying to communicate through my eyes. _Get everyone out of here. _ She seemed to understand what I was saying.

"Alright girls, who wants to go get some dinner at Breadstix?" They all said yes and followed her out of the room. Right before she left, she looked back at me, winked, and mouthed _"Go get her." _I took a breath and set my jaw. I had to do this. She was mine to have, not his.

"Rachel I wanted to talk to you about something important," I began.

"Do you think Finn will like the dress?" she mused as she looked at her reflection, completely oblivious. I reached for her wrist and gently pulled her around to face me. Her eyes softened as she looked at me. "Sorry Quinn, I'm being rude. I just want this to go well."

"Rach, you are breathtaking. But that's not what I want to talk to you about. Can I have a minute of your attention?" When she sat down on the couch, I assumed I should continue.

"I don't really know how to say this, so I'm just going to jump right in. Don't marry Finn. Don't throw away everything you've ever worked for because of some guy. You deserve so much more than him. I don't care if he follows you to New York; he's just going to drag you down. He doesn't love you the way you should be loved. He isn't good for you."

Her eyes were saucers. She didn't move, didn't blink, and didn't breathe. Finally, she rose shakily to her feet and glared at me with a cold fury that would put the Devil himself to shame.

"How DARE you say these things to me!" she shrieked. She stormed up to me and slapped me right across the face. "I can't believe you would come here, and insult my relationship. Finn does love me, and I love him. We are going to get married and move to New York together. We can make it, no matter what you, or anybody thinks!"

"Who are you trying to convince? Me or you!" I spat out.

"I cannot _believe _you right now. I thought we had settled our differences, but I suppose not."

"I'm not gonna stand around, and watch you ruin your life by marrying _Finn Hudson._ You aren't right for each other."

"I'm not talking to you anymore, I want you to leave. You aren't invited to the wedding Quinn. Don't even try to get in. We're no longer friends."

"Dammit Rachel! Would you just listen to me?"

She huffed indignantly. "Why should I? Why do you even care this much, even Kurt has stopped attempting to convince me to call it off. So why, are you of all people so hell bent on stopping this?" She stomped her foot as she stared at me.

"Because I'm in love with you! I know it sounds crazy, but I've been in love with since freshmen year when you showed up at school in a fuzzy sweater and sinfully short skirt. You amaze me Rachel Berry, and I want you to choose me. Please, just, choose me."

With that I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her mouth to mine. I latched on and glided my mouth over hers, trying to get her to respond. I gently sucked on her bottom lip. Her eyes fluttered shut and she threw her arms around my neck, deepening the kiss. I let out a moan and pulled her closer.

Her tongue darted out between my lips, asking for entrance that I immediately granted. Her lips tasted like Strawberry Smackers. Our tongues began to duel and she whimpered when I overpowered her. I felt her knot her hands in my hair as tried to pull our bodies even closer together. Our breath mingled, our tongues fought, our lips danced, and it was perfect.

She pulled away and kissed her way down my jaw and onto my neck. I panted, trying to catch my breath. My heart was pounding. I groaned when she started sucking on my neck, then biting it. I pulled her head back up and kissed her all over again.

I vaguely heard a bell ringing out, and then her body ripped away from mine. My eyes blinked open in confusion. She was straightening her hair and clothes out. "Rach," I started "What-"

"Hello Finn," she said- cutting me off. I whipped around and saw Finn standing there with a rose in his hand.

"Oh wow, you look really good babe," He lumbered over to her and gave her a hug, although it looked more like he was trying to crush her in his huge arms. "Quinn, what are you still doing here, I thought everybody left?"

"Well, Rachel and I were just-"

"Just talking about her duties as the maid of honor," Rachel interrupted.

"Oh well that's cool. I'm just gonna go sit in the truck and wait for you babe. Hurry up though; I want to get home to watch the game." He stooped down and kissed her cheek before he left the store. I waited until he left before I smiled at Rachel.

"That was close, I wouldn't him to find out about you cancelling the wedding that way. Even if I don't like him very much, I do want to cause him any unnecessary pain." Rachel peeled her gaze away from the door and looked at me with tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Quinn, I can't. I can't break it off." My heart shattered into a thousand pieces, I swear I could hear it breaking.

"Yes you can! He means nothing. We just kissed, I said I love you. You have to call it off. Please. You can't tell me what we just did meant nothing, that you don't feel anything." I whimpered out the last part. I was using all my strength not to break down right there.

"I'm so sorry Quinn. I just can't. Finn and I belong together. I love him. Even if I do have feelings for you, I'm not going to throw what I have with him away."

As soon as the words left her mouth I grabbed my purse and ran out the door. I threw my car door open and put it in reverse. She barreled out of the store, yelling my name. I shifted gears and pulled out of the parking lot. I could see her running behind me, waving her arms and screaming for me to stop, but I couldn't face her. I drove and drove, tears fogging my vision. She chose him over me. She didn't love me. She was getting married to somebody else. I couldn't breathe. I slammed on my brakes and doubled over in pain. Rain was pounding against the car.

I heard a screeching of tires to my left, I looked up to see a truck spinning out of control straight towards me. I was frozen. Then, the car made impact. I slammed forward into the dash, glass shattering, and blood spurting.

Oh god, everything hurt. I couldn't see. Light was being flashed in my eyes. I could hear voices yelling out.

"Rachel….need Rachel," I whimpered. Then the world went black.

TBC?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- As requested, the second chapter. I'm thinking that this will be a multi chapter fic. Possibly five or six, but that is subject to change. Once again, review and let me know what you think! I'm open to suggestions if you have any. Thanks to everyone that reviewed and added this to your story alerts. Enjoy :)**

** DISCLAIMER: I don't own Glee or its characters. **

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><p>Our lives are made up of moments. Some small, some big; but they are all significant. We tend to throw away the precious time we have been given, and when we realize our life is in the balance, we decide to try and make up for lost time even though it's too late. So, what will you do right now? In this moment. What will you do?<p>

My entire body was on fire. It felt like all of the nerves weaving throughout my body had been severed by a knife. I kept trying to open my mouth, to speak, but the signals my brain was trying to send weren't cooperating with my body. I could sense several people moving around me, yelling out frantically. I couldn't really make sense of things. Everything was entering my brain in small, broken fragments.

When I forced my eyes to open I saw that I was on a small, silver exam table. Doctors in trauma gowns were rushing around me, shouting about brain injuries, broken ribs, and a pneumothorax. What was happening? I needed Rachel, she would make me better. God, where was she?

"Rachel," I managed to croak out. The doctor's heads snapped to me. An older man with graying hair and a nice smile stepped up to my face.

"Hello Miss Fabray. You've been in a very serious car accident. We need to get you to surgery right away. You're going to be OK. We have the very best operating on you."

"I need…..Rachel…Rachel Berry." I could barely get it out. My chest ached and it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe.

"We'll call her for you OK. We need to go now." They started wheeling me down the hall and into the elevator. I was lifted off the gurney and onto the OR table. I felt a stab of pain in my arm, before the anesthesia kicked in, and I was asleep.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _That was what I heard when I woke up. My eyelids felt like thousand pound weights and I just couldn't bring myself to open them. I could hear feet shuffling outside my room, and hushed whispers passed between nurses about various patients. I listened to them for what seemed like an hour before I heard somebody running nearby.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry but you can't go in there, it's family only," a nurse said.

"No, you listen to me! That is my best friend in there! You had better move before I body check you! I have two gay dads and I can _assure_ you that if you don't move, the full force of the ACLU will come down on you."

Rachel. Rachel came for me, and she was fighting to get to me. My heart was soaring. Why couldn't I just open my eyes?

"I'm sorry but I just can't let you in, patients in the ICU have a much stricter visitor's policy."

"Please just let me in. Her parents are out of town and won't be able to get back until next week at the earliest."

I heard the nurse sigh and say, "What's your name?"

"Rachel Berry. I was called twelve hours ago by Dr. Smith. He said that she asked for me."

"Let me just contact Dr. Smith and Miss Fabray's parents and I'll see if you can go in. OK?" I was exhausted from straining to hear the conversation and quickly fell asleep.

When I awoke I heard the nurse talking to Rachel right outside the room. She was saying something about my parents give Rachel permission to enter the room until they got back. As soon as Rachel knew she was allowed in she pushed past the nurse and rushed into my room.

"Oh Quinn," she gasped out. She stepped closer to me and put her hand on my cheek. It was so warm against my cold skin. She caressed the side of my face and bent down to kiss my forehead. Her cheeks were wet and slick from tears.

"What did you do? God, if you die on me Fabray I will raise you from the dead just to kick your ass."

Her voice was strained, like she was barely keeping herself together. I just wanted to wrap my arms around her and tell her that everything was going to be OK, that I would never ever leave her. But my body wasn't cooperating with me, so I could only lie there and listen to her pain.

"What happened? Will she-," she choked up and took a breath to compose herself, "Will she be OK?"

"She was in a very traumatic car accident. She didn't have a seatbelt on so she went through the windshield. She had a severe brain bleed, two broken ribs, internal bleeding, bad bruising, a collapsed lung, and some broken bones. Her recovery is going to be long and painful. Right now our main concern in the brain injury. Her brain swelled because of the bleed, so we had to remove a part of her skull. We don't quite know what the stress of the injury will do to her brain function. Only time will tell."

Halfway through the report Rachel started sobbing, unable to control it any longer.

"So, are you saying that even if her body recovers, my Quinn might not come back?"

"Quinn might not be able to speak or function the way she has her whole life, and that's if she wakes up. Right now, we just don't know. I'm sorry that I don't have any more information for you. I have to go check on some other patients, but a doctor will be around later to go into more detail with you."

"Thank you," Rachel said. My bed shifted and I could feel her curl up into my side. Luckily, it was the side without the broken ribs, but pain still shot through my body.

"Quinn, you listen to me. I don't know if you can hear me, but you come back. You need to come back to me because I can't do this without you. I need you. Please come back," she couldn't continue because she started crying again.

She buried her head into the crook of my shoulder and cried. I made a promise to myself right then and there, that no matter what, I would fight. I would do everything I could to come back to the love of my life. Nothing would separate me from her. _Nothing. _


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N- Thank you to everyone that reviewed and story alerted the last chapter, it means a lot to me. Keep those reviews coming! It really does make an author more motivated to write. This chapter is a bit longer for you all. Enjoy :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Glee or its characters.**

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><p>It had been one week after the accident and I had been examined by more doctors than I could count. Rachel hadn't left my side once, except to use the bathroom. She wouldn't even get up to eat, so the nurses brought her food three times a day. My parents wouldn't be back for a few days, so Rachel was still allowed inside my room.<p>

I was still in the ICU in critical condition. They kept talking about comas, but I could hear and feel everything going on around me; I just couldn't open my eyes. I wanted to sit up and shout at the doctors for making me seem worse than I was.

A few of the glee club members had been allowed to see me, but none of them had stayed very long. I didn't expect anything else; I had never been close to any of them.

I just wanted to open my eyes; I had to tell Rachel I was OK. I could feel her slowly starting to crumble as each day passed. My neurosurgeon had said that if I didn't wake up in the first forty-eight hours after surgery, that my chances of ever waking up were slim.

My body was starting to heal, but I was still in extreme pain. They kept me on a constant supply of morphine and other pain killers. They helped, but nothing would ease the ache in my heart. It just wasn't fair! Why did this happen to me? Was karma finally catching up to me after all the years I spent torturing people?

"Hello Miss Berry. Still here I see. It's time for her daily checkup."

"Good afternoon Dr. Pierce. Yes, I'm still here. I refuse to leave until Quinn comes out of this coma."

Rachel was still fighting for me. I had to fight for her too; if she wasn't giving up then I wasn't either.

Dr. Pierce let out a small sigh and said, "Rachel, we've discussed this. I'm not sure that Quinn is coming out of this any time soon, if at all. You simply cannot stay in a hospital for several months. It won't be allowed."

"With all due respect, you don't know Quinn. You can be the smartest doctor ever, but Quinn Fabray is a fighter. She's different, and she will defy whatever medicine and science tells you. I know it. So, respectfully, I _**won't **_be leaving until she is awake."

"Alright Rachel. Let's just get on with the exam, yeah?" He stepped closer to me and moved his hands over my body.

He pushed against my broken ribs, and it felt like a knife was stabbed into my side and twisted.

"The ribs are healing, but I'm worried about the fact that her collapsed lung was on the same side as her broken ribs. I think I'm going to order a CT scan to make sure everything is healing properly."

"If you think that's best," Rachel whimpered out. She sounded so defeated, like all her energy was gone.

"The last image we took showed that her internal bleeding is doing very well. I think Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones got that under control. So that's some good news. She won't have to go back into surgery."

"I suppose."

Rachel was giving up. She was giving up on me. I was trying, couldn't she see that? I needed to find a way to give her hope, to give her a sign that I was coming back to her.

"Rachel, I think it would be best if you went home. If only for a day or two. Being in the hospital this long is going to do more harm than good. You need to shower, and get a decent night's sleep."

"I do sleep. I can't sleep without her. Don't you get it! This is my fault. I hurt her, and she did this. I caused this. She's going to die, because of me!" Rachel broke down. Her sobs shook my bed and filled the room.

Oh Rachel. This wasn't her fault. How could she think that?

"Rachel, this wasn't your fault. It was an accident. You couldn't have foreseen this happening," Dr. Pierce reassured her.

"You don't understand. I know I didn't cause the accident. But what if she _meant_ for that car to hit her."

"So, you think this was a suicide attempt?"

"I hurt her in the worst way imaginable. She has to come back. I'll never forgive myself if she doesn't."

Please no. I started fighting to open my mouth, my eyes, anything. I had to tell her I didn't mean for this to happen, that it wasn't her fault. I couldn't let her do this to herself. My eyelids felt like lead. It was as if my body had been tied down. I was in my own personal hell. What was happening to me? I struggled against my imaginary restraints, trying to reach out to her.

"What was that?" Rachel shrieked out.

"What?" Dr. Pierce asked.

"Her finger just twitched! There it went again! She's moving, oh god she's moving." She fell onto my bed and placed chaste kisses all over my face.

"This is progress Rachel. I'm going to order a head CT to see if her brain has started to heal. Oh, and in my time as a doctor, I've only seen patients do that when they're reaching out for a loved one. She might be able to hear you. Try talking directly to her, it could speed the process along."

I could hear him leave the room and walk down the hallway. I smiled internally. I had moved! Rachel knew I would be OK. I felt myself start to drift off; exhausted from the amount of effort I had used to make such a small movement. The last thing I felt before I was gone was Rachel placing a small kiss directly onto my lips.

The sound of a faint whirring was what I heard when I came back into consciousness. I felt very restricted and closed in. I must have been in the CT machine. I wondered how long I had been in there. I was starting to become claustrophobic, and the fact that I couldn't move only intensified it.

I started to take deep breathes to calm myself. If I over exerted myself, I would black out again and I didn't want to miss anything. The whirring was starting to slow, and then it came to a complete stop.

Heavy footsteps crossed the floor and came to a stop next to the machine.

"OK Quinn, Dr. Pierce said that you could hear what was going on around you, so I'm going to fill you in on what's happening."

A soft gush of air sounded as the platform I was on eased out of the machine.

"My name is Jack, and I'm one of your nurses. Right now, you're in a CT scan machine. We just finished the scan, so I'm going to wheel you back to your room. The image of your lung has already developed and everything is looking good. We're still waiting on your head CT though. Considering the accident you were in, you're doing fantastic. You are quite the miracle."

I felt strong arms wrap around my neck and under my legs as I was lifted from the platform onto a gurney.

"Alright, now we're just going to walk back to your room. We are on the fourth floor right now, and your room is on the sixth floor. The elevator is just down the hall, so we'll be back to your friend very shortly. I know this must be hard, being aware of your surroundings but not being able to move. I need you to be patient for us. Just focus on getting better, and your mind will come back eventually."

We came to a stop and I heard a ding go off, signaling the elevators arrival. I was pushed inside and turned so that we would both fit. The doors closed and we went upwards.

As a kid I had always loved elevators. The funny feeling I would get in my stomach as the elevator moved. Now, it was a source of pain. It symbolized the damage on my body, and where I was.

"And here we are. Let's just get you out of here and back to your room. I know Rachel has been anxious to see you. She's been having the nurses on the floor page me every five minutes. She's a handful, that one."

Jack chuckled as he shifted the gurney once more. I rolled out of the elevator and heard _very _loud shouting. It sounded like somebody was arguing. I listened carefully and immediately recognized Rachel's voice. Then I heard a male voice rise against hers.

_Finn. _

The protector in me overtook my senses, and all I wanted to do was run to her and throw myself between her and Finn. But, my body once again didn't listen to my brain. This was torture. I prayed that we would get there soon so that Jack could help her if I couldn't.

"Finn! I told you that I'm not leaving the hospital, and you're just going to have to respect me in this," Rachel shrieked out.

"You know what? I don't respect you in this, much less understand you! This is _Quinn Fabray _we're talking about here. The girl that tortured you for years, and stole me from you countless times. I can't believe you're choosing her over me and our wedding!"

"Listen to me Finn Hudson. Quinn is one of my best friends and I will not tolerate you bad mouthing her. She is not who she used to be, and she only did those things because she thought she had to. She is not the person she pretended to be for all those years. I am not leaving the hospital just so we can get married. I can't believe you're being this selfish when one of our friends is seriously injured!"

Finn let out a dry laugh, "Friend? I hate that bitch. She ruined my life not once, but twice and-"

He was cut off by a harsh slap across his face right as we entered the room.

Rachel's voice was low and sharp when she said, "I would like you to leave now Finn. I don't want you to come back to this hospital or this room. I don't want you anywhere _near _me or Quinn. And I'm calling off the wedding. I should have never accepted your proposal. I now see that we will never work. You are cruel, insensitive, and immature. Leave now, and don't come back. Understand?"

"Ha! You think you can just dump me? It doesn't work that way Rachel. We're going to get married and move to New York together. You'll come to your senses tomorrow and come begging for me to take you back just like you always do. And me, being the great guy that I am, will accept. You're lucky I put up with you and all your crazy. Nobody else will ever want you."

I wanted to jump out of my bed and rip that boy to shreds. He deserved to be on this bed instead of me for insulting Rachel like that. She was perfect and he was an idiot for not seeing it.

"Leave, or I'll have security forcibly remove you!"

Jack decided it was time to jump in, "Alright young man, that's enough. I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises. I don't want to have to call security on you."

I heard something topple over, and I assumed that Finn had kicked a chair. He stormed out and left.

"Thank you Jack. Please make sure he isn't allowed into the hospital. How did the scans go?"

"It was no problem Rachel, and I'll make sure he isn't allowed in. Her scans went well. We got the lung CT back and everything is looking good. We're still waiting on her head images though."

"OK, thank you. I appreciate everything you've done."

"It's my job. But, I'm glad I could help. Why don't you try talking to her? Try to go into detail so that she gets a good picture of what is going on. We think she's been able to hear the whole time, so she's most likely aware of what happened. Just try to talk to her like you normally would."

He situated my on my bed and left the room, leaving Rachel and I alone. She righted the chair Finn had kicked over and sat on my bed. She pulled back the blankets and slipped in beside me. Her arm wound its way around my waist and her head settled on my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry you had to hear that. Finn is such an idiot. I can't believe I didn't see it before. I think it's because I wanted him to be the perfect guy so badly that I overlooked all his flaws. I wanted you to know, that all those things he said about you, were wrong. You're the most amazing person I've ever met."

My heart swelled to twice its size as I listened to her speak. She was beautiful and perfect. She had called off the wedding and had realized that Finn wasn't right for her. She chose me over him, even if it was just for friendship.

"I was so scared when I got the phone call that you had been in an accident. I almost crashed my car trying to get here as fast as possible. I thought I was going to lose you, and it terrified me. I was in the waiting room for twelve hours, not knowing if you were going to make it. Then, when I got to see you, god you looked so small and broken. I thought I was going to throw up."

I wish I could comfort her. Do something to make her feel better. All I could do was continue to listen to her talk.

"I just wish you could move or do something. It is a bit comforting knowing that you can hear me, but I just need you to move. It's weird seeing you this still. I miss you so much. I need to hear your voice again. I can't let the last time we spoke be the final time I hear your beautiful voice. I don't know if I can live without hearing it."

She sighed and snuggled closer into me. Her breath was hot against my neck. She smelled like strawberries, even after spending a week in a hospital. She never was one to give up on personal hygiene, no matter the circumstances.

"I wonder what you're thinking about. I used to wonder that a lot actually. I wanted to know if I was ever on your mind. I guess I was, considering what you said at the dress fittings. Am I all you can think about? I think about you. You're almost always on my mind."

I got the feeling that she was starting to talk more to herself than me. I don't know if she realized that was she was saying implied that she felt the exact same way me. Did she even know she loved me?

"I just feel so lost and confused right now. I need you so badly Quinn. You just have to come back. I can't make it in this life without you. So, please, don't leave me. Please."

Tears were flowing down her face and small shudders racked her body. The tears fell from her cheeks onto my neck, down my shirt. She sniffled and wiped her nose.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be crying like this. I need to be strong for you. But, if you could send me a sign, anything that would let me know you're going to make it out of this. That would be really great."

I started fighting the sluggish feeling in my brain, trying to send her a signal. My body just felt so heavy, as if the weight of the world was pressing down on me. Why couldn't I do this? I was a Fabray god dammit! Fabray's don't give up or give in, yet I was doing just that.

"I don't understand what I'm feeling right now. I don't know what I'm feeling for you. That kiss made me feel things I've never experienced before, not even with Finn."

She was realizing it! I fought harder against my inner confinements. I needed to come back. I needed her just as much as she needed me. I was becoming increasingly tired as I tried to gain control over my body.

"Oh god," she choked out, "Quinn, I'm so incredibly in love with you."

With a last fleeting bout of strength, my eyes snapped open.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- Sorry for the delay everybody. I had a mad case of writer's block, and I was dead for about a day after watching "On My Way". Pretty sure I went into cardiac arrest in addition to a nervous breakdown. But, I managed to get this chapter out. I originally had a different plan in mind, but this just sort of came out. I incorporated some of the spoilers for the next episode of Glee in this. Remember to review and tell your friends! Enjoy :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Glee or its characters**

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><p><em>With one last fleeting bout of strength, my eyes snapped open.<em>

Bright lights assaulted my vision. It felt like my brain had been stabbed by a thousand nails. I let out a pained groan. Rachel's head popped up and she looked at my face.

"Quinn? Oh my god Quinn! Hold on honey. Everything is going to be OK. I'm here. Don't worry." She jumped off the bed and hit the nurse's button frantically.

"We need help in here! Please hurry!" she yelled out.

Four nurses came running into the room and made a beeline for me. They checked the monitors surrounding the bed.

"Page Dr. Pierce right away!" one of the nurses said. An intern nodded and hurried out of the room.

"What's happening? Is she going to be alright?" Rachel asked, her voice gradually rising in pitch.

"I don't know. She shouldn't be able to do this yet. We just need to wait for Dr. Pierce to get here. There's nothing wrong that I can see."

Rachel sagged and came over to my side. She pushed some hair out of my face and peered into my eyes.

"Dr. Pierce is going to come and help you."

I opened my mouth but couldn't get words to come out through the pain. I let out a scream as a shock came catapulting through my brain.

Rachel looked at me alarmed, "Quinn! Somebody do something, she's in pain! Don't just stand there; what is wrong with you people?"

The nurses snapped into action and pushed morphine into my IV bag. The pain started to ease up pretty quickly after that.

Dr. Pierce entered the room flanked by two other doctors.

"Welcome back to the world Miss Fabray," he turned to the nurses and said, "Status report?"

"We were called into Miss Fabray's room approximately five minutes ago when she opened her eyes. She has tried to speak several times but has not been able to. Her stats are normal, but three minutes ago she screamed in pain. We pushed morphine intravenously and the pain has seemed to ease since then."

"Thank you Rose. OK Quinn, I'm just going to check on you neurological function and see what we're dealing with."

He stepped up to me and pulled a small flashlight from his lab coat. He pulled up my eyelid and flashed the light in my eye. I winced and squirmed away from the light in pain.

"I know this hurts. It's going to for a while until I find out what's going on in your brain. I really need you to hold still for me so that I can make you feel better. Can you do that for me?"

I nodded my head. He smiled and shone the light in my other eye. My vision was starting to get cloudy and I could feel myself slipping away.

"Hold on Quinn. Don't let it get the best of you. Try to stay with me. Just keep focused on staying awake," Dr. Pierce urged.

"What do you mean? Is she going into a coma again?" Rachel cried out.

"She's starting to fade yes. The amount of strain this is putting on her brain is tremendous, and it might cause her to go back into the coma. I don't think she has healed all the way yet."

Rachel pushed past Dr. Pierce and grabbed both sides of my face.

"You had better not leave me again Fabray. Fight. You need to be here. Please, I need you to be here. Look into my eyes OK? Don't go back into the darkness, just focus on me. I'll keep you grounded."

Her brown eyes were staring directly into mine. The blackness slowly slipped away as her warm chocolate eyes engulfed me, and held me to Earth. I couldn't look away. Her thumbs were gently stroking my cheeks, and I knew that this was where I belonged.

"I…love….you." I could barely get it out. My tongue was so heavy, and my mouth was incredibly dry. But, she needed to hear it, I needed to tell her.

Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over. They ran down her face as she gazed at me in awe. I slowly lifted my hand to her face. My thumb caught the tears, and wiped them away. She turned her face to the side and kissed my hand.

"Oh Quinn," she whispered against my hand. She pulled her face away and leaned into me until she was a centimeter away from my face.

"I love you too."

She closed the gap between us and pressed her lips softly against mine. The kiss was slow and sensual; she was everything I had been looking for.

Dr. Pierce cleared his throat, "We'll give you two some privacy. Quinn seems to be doing much better. I don't see any harm in waiting for an hour before we run some tests. Page us if you need anything." He turned around and ushered the nurses out of the room.

Rachel turned her eyes back towards me with a smirk firmly in place.

"Now, where were we?" She leaned forwards and captured my lips with hers.

I had never been happier in my entire life.

Three days, two hours, and twenty- seven tests later confirmed that I was in fact out of my coma and wasn't going back into it anytime soon. I was still operating pretty slowly, but it was better than anyone ever thought it would be.

I was using a wheelchair to get around because I couldn't quite gain control over my legs. They weren't sure if it was permanent or just a temporary thing.

I had forced Rachel to go home, take a shower, and eat some decent food. She still came to visit me every day for several hours at a time.

We hadn't put a label on anything, but we were constantly sharing "I love you's" and kissing as often as possible.

Mr. Schuester and Miss Pillsbury had been along to visit me; as well as Santana, Brittany, Kurt, and Mercedes.

Britt had given me a report she wrote on brain injuries. She told me that I had hurt my brain because I was thinking too much.

I was reading a magazine that Mercedes had brought me when Rachel walked in.

"Hey. You look really good today. Almost all the color has returned to your face," she said as she kissed my cheek.

"Thanks. I feel better; I'm not getting as many headaches."

"That's wonderful," she looked down shyly and said, "I missed you last night."

I beamed at her, "Yeah? I missed you too."

She smiled as she leaned forward. I met her halfway and kissed her.

She pulled away when I tried to pull her onto the bed. "This is a hospital Quinn! We can't just make out in here. It's disrespectful."

"Are you sure about that? Because you seem to enjoy it."

She gasped in mock irritation. "You are so rude to me. You know what? No more kisses for you." She huffed and turned her back on me.

"But how will I live without my special Rachel kisses? Do you want me to die again? I'm pretty sure I can go back into my coma. Oh no, I can see the light. It's coming. I…think….I'm…falling…asleep," I teased as I pretended to fall unconscious.

She slapped me playfully and said, "I hate you so much right now."

I opened one eye and stuck out my tongue. "I love you too." I grabbed her by the waist and tugged her onto the bed next to me.

"So, what do you want to do today?" she asked me.

"Can you push me around in the chair? I feel so cooped up in here, I really want to get out."

"Of course babe. Come on."

Her surprisingly strong arms wrapped around me as she lifted me from the bed onto the wheelchair.

"Thanks. What would I do without you?"

"Probably die," she teased. She wheeled my out into the hallway and towards the elevator.

"Haha very funny. Can we go outside into the courtyard? I need some fresh air."

"Sure, anything you want."

She pushed the button for the first floor. The elevator began its descent. I watched the numbers above the door light up as we passed each floor. Finally, we arrived at the first.

Rachel started to grab the handlebars on the chair, but I pushed her away and wheeled myself out of the elevator.

"I don't want you to do everything for me. I need to learn to do this anyways, in case it's permanent."

She sighed and looked down at me. "It won't be permanent. I'm sure of it. And it's really not that big of a deal, I don't mind pushing you. It's not like you're heavy."

We turned a corner and she held open the door leading to the outdoor courtyard.

"Would you be OK if this was permanent?"

"What do you mean?"

"Would you still want to be with me if I was in a wheelchair forever?" I whispered out.

We came to a stop next a bench and Rachel sat down.

"Oh Quinn. How could you think that you being in a wheelchair would have any effect on whether I would want to be with you? I almost lost you. In fact, I thought I had. I don't care if your legs never work again, I will always love you. No matter what."

I breathed out a sigh of relief. "I was so worried that you wouldn't. But, I do have something to ask you."

She grabbed my hand and laced out fingers together. "What is it?"

I swallowed nervously, "Well, I, uh….we say I love you to each other and we kiss, but we haven't exactly labeled this. So, I was wondering if you would be my girlfriend. I know you just called off an engagement and everything is going so fast, but I don't want to be without you. I just love you so much and-"

Rachel held up her free hand to cut me off.

"Of course I'll be your girlfriend Quinn. I've just been waiting for you to bring it up. I know we're moving kind of fast but I don't care. I love you, and that's what is important. I don't want to lose you again."

A smile lit up my face. I gently cupped her face and pulled it forwards. I kissed her with everything I had. When we pulled apart I was breathless.

Suddenly, an excruciating pain shot up my spine and into my brain. I fell forwards out of my chair and landed on the ground.

I was losing vision fast. My eyes searched frantically for Rachel but I couldn't see her. I could hear her screaming out my name. What was happening? The last thing I remember was Rachel begging me not to leave her. Then everything slipped away.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N- Hello everybody! I'm sorry about the angst, I promise it will get better, just hang in for a few more chapters! Thanks again to everyone that reviewed and added this to your story alerts. Keep em' coming. Enjoy :)**

**A/N 2- Also, I'm looking for a beta because I'm going to continue this past the hospital. I want to explore what their relationship will be after the hospital and how the accident will affect their lives. I need someone that will help with not only errors, but help with the flow of the story. Please private message me if you're interested. Thanks.**

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><p>A cool hand was smoothing my hair off my face when I started waking up from the haze I had been in. I was lying down on a bed, so I must have been taken back to my room. What had happened? I couldn't remember anything after falling out of my wheelchair. I flexed experimentally and was pleased when I didn't feel any pain.<p>

"It looks like she's coming back to us," the familiar voice of Dr. Pierce said.

"Quinn? Oh sweetie, thank god. You can't scare me like that again. Can you open your eyes?"

I groaned as my eyes fluttered open. I felt extremely groggy, like I had just woken up from a nap. I ran my tongue over my lips in an attempt to return some moisture to my incredibly dry mouth.

"Water," I croaked out. Rachel turned to the table next to my bed and poured me a glass of water.

"Here you go love."

I drank greedily from the plastic blue cup. Once I had my fill I looked to Dr. Pierce and said, "What happened?"

"It seems that you suffered a major seizure, which is why you don't remember anything. While your brain was trying to heal from the major trauma of your accident, it started to inadvertently generate abnormal brain connections, leading to epilepsy."

"So what are you saying? That I have epilepsy now? As in a permanent thing?"

Dr. Pierce swallowed visibly, "I don't know. I wish I had more answers for you Quinn, but you are an interesting case. You shouldn't even be alive, much less fully conscious and talking. But, yes, this _could_ be a permanent symptom of the trauma you went through. I am so very sorry. Now, if you'll excuse me I need to go see my other patients."

He turned sharply on his heel and left the room before I could say another word. I blinked profusely to try and keep the tears I felt coming at bay. They began to pour down my cheeks. I looked away from Rachel so she wouldn't see me being weak.

She saw me anyways and pulled my face back around. She wordlessly wiped away my tears.

"Quinn, you are the strongest person I know, but you don't always have to be. It's just me. You can cry if you need to. Nobody should have to keep all the pain you're feeling inside. Just talk to me. I love you, OK?"

"It's just," I started as I took a deep breath, "I might never walk again. Now I'll probably have a severe seizure disorder for the rest of my life. I don't want this! How am I ever supposed to be good enough for you when I'm a cripple? Everything in my life has been destroyed. Why do bad things keep happening to me?" I couldn't continue because sobs overtook my body.

Rachel didn't say anything; she just pulled back my sheets and crawled in beside me. She opened her arms wide and I immediately fell into them. She wrapped me up and held me tight. Sometimes, having somebody hold you is worth a thousand words.

When my tears stopped, and all that was left was small hiccups Rachel tilted my chin up so she could look me in the eyes.

"I need you to listen to me _very _closely OK? I will love you _no matter what. _I know that you're worried that I'm going to run. I won't. I'm not Finn or Sam. I don't care that you might be in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. Or that you have developed epilepsy. I will adapt. You want to know why? Because I know what it feels like to lose you, and I _never _want to feel that again. So this? This is a happy rainbow in comparison to what I felt before. I am so in love with you Quinn Fabray, and I'm not going anywhere."

Rachel freaking Berry. She always knew exactly what to say to make me feel better. I could do this; I would do this for her.

"How are you this perfect? I don't know what I did to deserve you. You're so amazing," I breathed out in awe.

"So are you. I don't think you realize how special you really are. We're gonna make it through this Quinn, together. And we'll be stronger people because of it."

I put my head on her shoulder and whispered, "Thank you."

She kissed my head and closed her eyes. We both drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

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><p>The beautiful sound of Rachel's beating heart is what I awoke to. I smiled; I could get used to this.<p>

"Mm, morning sleeping beauty. Or rather, good evening," Rachel said.

"I could get used to waking up to you by my side. What time is it anyways?"

My head shifted as Rachel twisted her body to check the clock.

"A quarter after nine. We slept for about six hours."

"That's good, you needed it. And before you get mad at me, I don't mean that you look tired, it's just that I know you don't sleep well with me here."

"Are you worried about me Fabray?" Rachel said flirtatiously.

I looked up into her eyes and grinned, "Maybe I am. What are you gonna do about it?"

"You'll just have to see."

She matched my grin and leaned down. I surged forwards and captured her lips in mine. She moaned into my mouth and I rolled us over so that I was on top of her body. A tongue darted out and grazed my bottom lip, asking for entrance. My lips parted and my mouth was quickly assaulted by her most gracious tongue. I heard a whimper, but I wasn't sure if it was her or me.

"What the hell is this!" a strong male voice roared.

Rachel and I quickly pulled apart. I rolled over and was greeted by the sight of a fuming Finn Hudson standing in the entrance of my room.

"Finn. What are you doing here? I told you not to come back!"

His face was growing redder by the second. "I came back to _apologize _for the way I acted. I was out of line and wrong. So I brought you flowers. I heard Quinn was awake; I wanted to see how she was doing. Apparently she's just fine since she's sucking face with my _fiancée_!" he growled out.

He stepped forward menacingly. Rachel jumped out of the bed and stepped in front of him. She put a cautionary hand on his chest.

"I'm not your fiancée anymore Finn, you know this. I know that what you just saw hurt you. But please give me a chance to explain. You don't understand. Please don't overreact and do something you'll regret."

He let out a dry laugh. "You can't just call off our wedding like that Rachel. We love each other. This isn't over between us. It can't be. So, you and I are going to leave the hospital right now and go home. We can start the wedding plans again and everything will be back to normal. OK? Come on."

"No Finn! You need to listen to me. I don't love you like that. I thought I did but I don't. We don't belong together. I'm in love with Quinn. I'm so sorry Finn."

"You aren't even gay Rachel!" he spat out. "You're just confused. You were worried for her and you confused it as love. That's all this is. You're gonna realize that this isn't real. We are."

"No, that's not what this is. If anything I confused my feelings for _you. _I was so caught up in a schoolgirl fantasy I overlooked who I was really in love with; Quinn. I need you to leave now."

He realized that he was going to lose the argument; and ultimately Rachel. He turned to me with venom in his eyes.

"You. You did this to me. You never could let me happy. You ruin _everything! _She was the one good thing in my life. The one thing I had, and now you take that away from me."

"Walk away Finn. She chose me. I'm so sorry that this is hurting you, because I never wanted to do that. But, it's over. Leave now."

His eyes lit on fire and he raised his fist back.

"No Finn!" Before I could register what was happening, Rachel threw herself in front of me. Finn's fist connected with Rachel's face and she went flying to the ground.

"Rachel!" I shrieked out. I couldn't move my legs. I reached out desperately for her lifeless form.

"Help! We need help in here!"

Two nurses came running in. Finn stood stock still; he stared wide eyed at Rachel.

"Oh god. What did I do?" he whispered out. He looked at me before sprinting out of the room.

"Is she going to be OK?" The nurse rolled Rachel over. A bruise was rapidly forming where his fist had made impact. Her lip had a small cut and was bleeding. A large gash was in her forehead from hitting the floor face first.

"She's going to be just fine; she'll probably need stitches for the cut on her forehead. I'm going to take her down to the ER to get properly assessed. She might have a concussion from the impact of her fall."

The nurses brought in a wheelchair and lifted Rachel into it.

"Please contact me once you find out what's going on with her."

"We will. And I'll see to it that the police are notified about that boy."

They wheeled her out of the room. I watched until the disappeared inside the elevator. I fell back against my bed.

"Please be OK," I whispered into the air.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N- Sorry guys! I've been super busy lately and just haven't had the time to write. We've made it out of the super angsty chapters! There will still be some occasional angst, but it will mostly be romance from now on. Thanks again for reviewing and story alerting. Make sure to keep doing it. Enjoy :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Glee or its characters, nor do I own the Kings of Leon**

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><p>I must have drifted off while I was waiting for Rachel to come back because when I opened my eyes she was already sitting in the chair next to the hospital bed reading a magazine. Her bottom lip was swollen, a dark bruise had formed across her right cheekbone, and she had a bandage covering the cut on her forehead.<p>

"Rach?" She looked up from her magazine and grabbed my hand.

"Hey sleepy head. How are you feeling?"

I propped myself up on my elbows and looked at her incredulously, "How am I? I should be asking you the same thing! I can't believe he did that to you."

"Quinn, I'm fine. I look a lot worse than I feel. I only needed five stitches."

"Stitches! That moron made you get stitches? I'm so going to kill him once I can move my damn legs!"

"Sweetheart, please calm down. Nothing good is going to come out of getting angry. The police already spoke with me. Finn won't be coming near either of us for a good long while. There's nothing to get upset over."

"Nothing to get upset over my ass," I mumbled.

"Sorry what was that?" she said sternly.

"I didn't say anything."

"Thought so," she teased.

I stuck my tongue out at her and patted the space next to me. She immediately crossed the room to sit next to me on the bed. I lifted my arm to wrap it over her shoulders. A small sigh escaped her lips as she put her head on my shoulder. I bent my head to place a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Now I know how you must have felt when I was in the coma. Seeing you hurt was torture. I couldn't even get up to help you. I never want to feel that again," I whispered into her hair.

"I felt the same way. Do you get what I mean when I say that I don't care about your legs or the seizures? As long as I still have you alive and with me, I'll be just fine."

"I get it now Rach. Sorry I doubted you."

"You never have to be sorry about that. I understand where you were coming from. You've never been appreciated for all that you are, only your looks. But, believe me when I tell you that your beauty is the least attractive part of you, and that's saying something. Everything about you is gorgeous."

"Where did you come from?" I breathed out.

"Mars. I'm totally a Martian, sent here to destroy the world, one beautiful girl at a time."

A throaty laugh escaped my lips, "Way to ruin a romantic moment."

She gave me a cheeky grin and tilted her head up to give me a soft kiss. She broke away when a knock sounded from the front of the room. Dr. Pierce loomed in the doorway looking sheepish.

"Sorry girls, but I have some news you might want to hear. Today marks two weeks after you were first admitted into the hospital. Your recovery has been miraculous. Nobody even expected you to live past the first twenty four hours. We believe that you can go home. Today."

"I'm sorry, what did you just say? I can go home? But what about the seizures? And I still can't move my legs!"

"We have medication for the seizures. As far as your legs go, we don't actually know that you will gain the mobility in your legs back. You need to get used to using that wheelchair. There is nothing we can offer you here that you can't get at home. You're completely stable."

"I just can't believe I can go home this early. It seems too fast."

"Of course you don't have to actually go home right now if you feel uncomfortable. But, you will have to leave eventually. You can think on it if need be."

"No! I just…," I trailed off. I looked at Rachel and said, "What do you think Rach? Should I go home or wait for a while longer?"

She seemed to ponder it for a moment before she answered, "Honestly, I'm terrified of you going home. I don't want something bad to happen so far away from the hospital. But rationally I understand that you do have to leave eventually. What is the difference between today or three days from now? Why not go home, where you'll be comfortable?"

I smiled at her before I turned to Dr. Pierce, "I guess it's settled then. I'm going home today."

"Excellent! I'll just go have the nurses get your discharge papers ready. You should be out of here in an hour or so." He grabbed my chart as he left the room.

"Oh crap! I just realized that my mom isn't even back from Paris yet. Now what am I supposed to do?"

"Well, you could always stay with me and my dads. We'd be glad to have you. And, it might ease the stress I have about you leaving the hospital."

"Are you serious? That would be great! I wouldn't want to impose though."

"Don't even worry about it. I'll send my dad a text to let him know we need to get the guest room ready. I'll also have him come pick us up. His car is more…accessible."

I looked away at the reminder that my legs still didn't work. Would they ever be back to normal? There was so much I was going to have to relearn.

"Quinn?" Rachel asked softly, "I've been meaning to talk to you about something. I was waiting for a good time to bring it up, but since you're getting discharged I should tell you."

I turned my head back around to face her. She looked shy and uncomfortable. No, it couldn't be! She couldn't possibly be breaking up with me now, after everything we had been through.

"Are you breaking up with me?" I choked out.

Alarm spread across her face, "Oh gosh no! Quinn, I could never break up with you. That's not what this about. I'm sorry you misunderstood me."

"Oh thank god. You really terrified me there. What did you want to talk to me about then?"

"Well, I talked to Artie yesterday. As much I believe that your legs will work again, we don't know how long that will take. You're going to have to relearn a lot of things. So I asked Artie if he would be willing to sort of, mentor you. He said he would be happy to help you. He's the only person that can possibly understand the mental pain you're in right now. Also, he's been in the chair so long that I'm sure he has a few tricks and-"

I covered her mouth with my hand. She really was cute when she rambled.

"Rachel that is an amazing idea. Thank you. Truly. I really will need a lot of help, and who better to learn it from than Artie."

She breathed out a sigh of relief, "I was so nervous! I didn't want to anger you or make you sad. I'm glad you're going to let him help you. I really think it will help."

"Me too. I love you."

A soft smile graced her face. "I love you too."

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><p>In less than an hour my discharge papers had been filed and I was ready to leave. Rachel had helped me change out of my hospital gown into some regular clothes. I had settled for a yellow dress with a white cardigan in order to make everything as easy as possible. Jack came in and lifted me into my wheelchair.<p>

Once I was securely in the chair he handed me a small plastic bag, "That has your seizure meds. It also has your pain killers for your ribs as well as your head. Don't hesitate to call if you have any questions or concerns. Dr. Pierce wants to see you in two weeks for a check-up. Be safe Quinn."

"Thanks Jack." I would really miss him. He had been a really nice guy.

Rachel handed me our bags so I could hold them in my lap. She pulled the brakes off the wheels and pushed me forward. My eyes fluttered shut on instinct; I had always hated seeing all the sick people in hospitals. I didn't open my eyes again until we were in the lobby. Both of Rachel's fathers were standing at the entrance, ready to take us home.

"Hey girls," Leroy greeted. We continued out of the hospital into the vast parking lot.

"Where did you park the car daddy?"

"Row C Section 5," Hiram said.

I made a mental note to remember that Hiram was daddy and Leroy was dad. The Berry's car was a large white van. Rachel walked to the side of the car and slid the door open.

"Um, how should we do this? I should have googled it!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Don't worry baby girl, your daddy and I looked it up. We got this."

Suddenly Leroy's strong arms lifted me up into the air. He gently set me into the car and pulled the seatbelt across my body.

"I trust you can do the rest?" he asked.

I blushed and nodded my head. Hiram came around to fold up the wheelchair. He set it directly behind my seat for easy access. Rachel went to the other side of the car and slid in next to me. She planted a reassuring kiss on my cheek before she buckled her seat belt.

Her dads opened their doors and climbed into the car. Leroy inserted the key into the ignition while Hiram turned around to face us.

"OK Quinn, our house is only ten minutes away from the hospital so you won't have to be in the car for long. How are you feeling sweet heart?"

"I'm fine, thanks Mr. Berry."

"Please call my Hiram darling."

"OK."

Rachel grasped my hand tightly in hers as we pulled out of the hospital parking lot.

"Do you girls mind if I turn on the radio?" Leroy called back.

Rachel looked to me; silently asking if it was alright. I nodded my head and she said, "Sure dad, just not too loud."

Leroy turned the volume dial and I was pleasantly surprised to find out it wasn't show tunes. My head started bobbing along to the beat of the music.

"I really like this song. What is it?" I asked Rachel.

"It's the Kings of Leon. Contrary to popular belief I do listen to all different types of music. I just tend to favor Broadway."

"Well, I must say I underestimated you Miss Berry. My mistake, it shall never happen again."

"Such a smooth talker Fabray."

"You know it." Just then the car pulled to a stop in front of a large two story house.

"Welcome home Quinn," Rachel whispered against my neck, and in that moment, nothing had ever felt better.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N- Sorry everybody! I know I haven't updated in a while. I got really sick, then I had writers block, and I just didn't have any inspiration. I've been kind of down about the lack or reviews. If you like the story be sure to review and let me know what you think. Is there still interest or should I just wrap this up? Thank you to those of you that do review, it means the world to me. Anyways, enjoy the chapter :)**

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><p>"Alright girls, welcome home," Leroy said as he pulled into the driveway. Rachel's house was a large two story in a beautiful neighborhood. The grass was a brilliant shade of green. A small garden grew underneath a large bay window in the front of the house. Ivy grew up an entire wall. A white porch with a swing graced the front. It looked like somebody had plucked the house straight out of a fairytale. Carriage lights lit the way as the darkness of dusk began to envelop us.<p>

"I'm just going to come around and get Quinn while Leroy gets your luggage," Hiram announced. I glanced to my left to see Rachel giving me an encouraging smile.

The door slid open and Hiram reached behind my seat to grab the wheelchair. He set in on the ground and unfolded it. He slid an arm around my neck but before he could lift me out of the car Rachel exclaimed, "Daddy! I would appreciate it if you would stop manhandling my girlfriend!"

I snapped around to face Rachel, whose eyes had widened comically.

"Girlfriend?" Leroy barked out. I turned around to see that Leroy had returned to our side of the car with the luggage sitting on the sidewalk next to the car.

Hiram placed a calming hand on his husband's chest before he addressed us, "Rachel, for right now we're going to have to lift Quinn in and out of the car because we aren't set up for a wheelchair. As for the everything else, we will discuss that once we get inside and get everybody settled."

By the time he was done speaking I was pretty sure my face matched the shade of a tomato. I heard Rachel huff behind me but I didn't turn around to face her. Hiram lifted me out of the car onto my wheelchair. Rachel jumped down beside me and slammed the door.

She reached out to push my chair before I turned to her, "I got it."

"You haven't even practiced maneuvering yet Quinn."

"I guess I had better start sometime then. Come on Rach, its twenty yards from here to the front door. I think I can handle it."

"Fine. But if you need help or get stuck I'm pushing."

I smiled at her and put my hands on the wheels. I gave an experimental push and the chair rolled forward an inch before stopping. I did it again, but this time I kept my hands on the wheels. I let the chair move forward before I slid my hands over the wheels to keep going. I grinned as the chair made it all the way to the steps leading to the front door. I glanced over my shoulder to see Rachel and her fathers smiling at me.

"I think I need a little help getting up these stairs," I said sheepishly.

"No problem Quinn," Leroy came up behind me and lifted the wheels over each step until I was right in front of the door.

"We used to do that with Rachel's stroller. You are a lot lighter than she was," Leroy teased.

"Hey! I resent that," Rachel slapped his arm playfully.

I watched in awe at their family dynamic. They were so full of life. My family had never joked like that. We rarely even talked except when my sister or I got an award of some sort. Then were daddies little girls, he would say _'I'm so proud of you. Wait until I tell the guys at the club. I bet their daughters never made Head Cheerio as a freshman. You've made me proud'_.

I was brought out of my thoughts when Rachel bent down to whisper in my ear, "You OK? You seem a little distant."

"Just thinking," I whispered back.

She nodded and stood up, a slight frown on her face. Hiram was fumbling with his keys when Leroy reached over to help him. They unlocked the front door and flipped on a light. Rachel pushed me into the foyer while her dads went into the house.

I looked around at the beautiful home I was in. A large staircase was directly in front of me. To my left was what looked to be the living room. A black leather sofa was in front a TV. Next to the TV was a cabinet lined with a massive DVD collection. To my right seemed to be the music room. A beautiful grand piano was front and center. A stack of sheet music was on the piano bench. There was a small area with recording equipment set up where I assumed Rachel recorded herself singing. Sitting on a stand was an acoustic guitar and hanging from the wall were three electric guitars.

"The guest room is downstairs so you won't have to worry about going up the stairs. I had planned on having you stay in my room but I doubt my dads will let me now that I let the girlfriend thing slip."

"About that," a voice called from the living room, "Why don't you girls come in here so we can talk."

I gulped and shot a pleading look at Rachel. She shrugged before pushing me towards her fathers.

She situated me at the end of the couch and sat right next to me. Her dads came in and sat directly across from us in the two matching black leather recliners.

"OK, so you'll have to forgive us but Hiram and I are rather confused about how this relationship got started. Because up until about two weeks ago Rachel was engaged to Finn Hudson. As much as we're glad that relationship is over, we don't understand how you two got together."

Rachel looked at me, silently asking if she could answer their question. I smiled at her and turned back to her fathers.

"The day of Quinn's accident I was trying on dresses for the wedding and the bridesmaids were getting their fittings as well. As you know, I asked Quinn to be my maid of honor. Quinn had been against the wedding from the beginning, but agreed to come and support me. When she got there, she tried to convince me that the wedding was a mistake. I refused to listen to her, and asked why she was so dead set against it. She surprised me by telling me that she was in love with me. Then she kissed me, before Finn came and interrupted us."

Her fathers grimaced at this and sent me a sympathetic look.

"Anyways, I told Quinn that I couldn't leave Finn and that I was going to marry him," she took a breath before continuing, this part being equally emotional for the both of us.

"Quinn ran from the store and took off in her car. I chased after her, but she didn't stop. I sat in my car and just cried for a while. About two hours after that, I got a call from Lima Presbyterian Hospital telling me that Quinn had been in a very serious accident and that she had kept asking for me. When I found out that she was in a coma, I realized that my feelings for her were a lot more than friendship. The rest, as they say, is history."

By the end, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. I decided that I should speak up.

"I know that our past has not been good. It took me such a long time to realize why I had such anger towards Rachel. I called her degrading names like 'RuPaul' and 'Man hands' because I wanted to make her seem less feminine. I was taught from a very young age that homosexuality was wrong, a sin, an abomination against God. The funny thing is, I was fine with Kurt, Blaine, Santana, and Brittany. I knew what they had wasn't a sin. Being gay was OK, except for me. I just couldn't be another disappointment to my family. So I threw slushies and called her names, anything to make my feelings seem like hate, rather than the love I was actually feeling. I will never be able to take that back or apologize enough, but I am so truly sorry for everything I did to Rachel."

Rachel reached over to grab my hand, reassuring me.

"I love your daughter more than anything in the world. I'm so lucky that she returns my feelings. I promise to take care of her, to love her, and to make sure she knows she's special. I can't promise that I won't ever hurt her because I'm human and I make mistakes. But I _can_ promise that I won't ever hurt her intentionally. And when I do hurt her I will do everything in my power to make it right. I want to be with her forever. And it would mean everything to me if you gave us your blessing."

Rachel leaned over to plant a kiss on my cheek. I turned to give her a watery smile. She wiped the tears pooling in my eyes away with her thumbs.

"Well, I certainly like her better than Finn," Leroy declared.

"Dad!"

"Can't I have just a little fun? But, in all seriousness Quinn, you most certainly have our blessing. I think you and Rachel will be good for each other. You balance her out. I'm glad she picked somebody like you to love."

"Thank you Leroy."

"I second what my husband said. Welcome to the family Quinn."

A huge smile took over my face as her fathers came over to wrap me in a hug. I felt Rachel join in and I couldn't have been happier. I was a Berry now. This was where I belonged.


End file.
